10/12/2026
Historic Mt. Judea Mercantile brings generations of stories to life
MOUNT JUDEA, Ark. — Stories of moonshine, dynamite, lost coins and nickel sandwiches brought laughter Saturday as visitors gathered inside the historic Mt. Judea Mercantile during the Mount Judea Heritage Days Fall Festival on Oct. 10.
Shelly Beth Kent-Tomlinson, owner of the mercantile, joined local historian Travis Holt and her uncle, Jerry Kent, to share the building's history and memories of a time when the general store served as a gathering place for the mountain community.
Tomlinson purchased the aging building approximately 12 years ago with the goal of preserving its history. With help from local craftsmen, including Ronnie Nichols, she restored much of the structure while maintaining its original character.
"I just always had a connection to it, and I just wanted it restored," Tomlinson said.
Believed to have been constructed in the 1920s, the building once housed a general store, feed room and post office. Its ownership passed through several families, including the Heffleys and Nichols.
Holt, who researched the building's history, shared stories collected from longtime residents, including accounts of children delivering homemade wh***ey to a hiding place near the Mt. Judea bridge.
Another tale involved young men who reportedly detonated dynamite around a large oak tree in the cemetery, shattering windows throughout the community.
Holt acknowledged that determining the building's exact age remains difficult because historical records have been hard to locate.
Kent recalled simpler childhood adventures inside the store, including retrieving coins that had fallen between cracks in the wooden floorboards.
Children would attach chewed bubble gum to long sticks and carefully lower them between the boards, hoping to retrieve a nickel or quarter.
"If we got the quarter, we could go in and buy quite a bit of stuff," Kent recalled.
The store also served inexpensive lunches for local schoolchildren. A half sandwich cost a nickel, while a whole sandwich was a dime.
Today, the restored mercantile features historical photographs, artifacts and locally made merchandise, preserving both the building and the memories associated with it.
For Tomlinson, the restoration represents more than saving an old structure. It keeps a piece of Mt. Judea's history alive for future generations. Mt. Judea Mercantile Mt Judea Area Alliance, Inc
